UN Death in Vienna
UN Death in Vienna
Kathy has sent me an update about the Inquest and it’s results. Please continue to show your support for her and her family. Thank you.
"On Wednesday, February 11, 2009, at 5:30PM, I received a phone call from the Investigative Journalist that has been very active in writing about Aeryn's disappearance. He asked me how I felt about the results of the Inquest. I told him I had not heard anything about the results. We agreed to meet in 30 minutes and he gave me a copy of the results in German.
In short, the Minister of the Interior, had the Police themself, answer the 39 questions that the Green Party had submitted to the Minister. Needless to say the Police state they did a great and thorough job, and the Minister put her stamp of approval on it, and that is it.
The Investigative Journalist, who has spoken to the Police on several occassions since I first met him in November 2008, was very concerned about the report, because the police after a year of telling one story over and over again have now changed several things.
For a year the Police had held tight to the story that they received a phone call from a fisherman at 2020hrs and dispatched divers, a canine unit, and the fire department to the Danaukanal. They went into great detail about how the divers were in the water searching, how they dredged the canal, and had the canine unit searching. What scent the dogs were searching for was always a mystery they could not answer. The police then held to the time frame that at exactly 2050hrs, a mere 30 minutes after the supposed phone call, the units cleared. I asked at every meeting, how they could do all that in 30 minutes, and recieved answers that ranged from their teams are well trained to how would I know how long it should take.
In the Inquest Results, the Police now state that they cleared at 2121 hrs, adding 30 minutes to the search, and that ther was no canine unit ever there, that the divers did not enter the canal as the current was to strong, and that there was no dredging. They also resort back to the original fisherman version, with some embellishments. The fisherman saw a "bald headed man" shouting and struggling to swim, and then watched him sink in front of him as he fished.
Also in the results the Police state that there WAS an altercation at the sauna that evening. This is a complete about face as the police for over a year told me that there was no altercation, that Aeryn was sitting listening to his music, was tapped on the shoulder and ran out of the sauna. This after a year of me telling them that myself and Aeryn's brother, and friends had been told by sauna personnel that there had been an altercation at the sauna. Interesting enough as the Police change their version, the sauna, when contacted by the Journalist Wednesday morning now say that there was no altercation.
The Police after being adamant that there were never any witnesses to Aeryn being seen on the street, their latest statement on that quoted by the Journalist in a November 2008 article. Now in the Inquest results the Police state there were 2 witnesses.
The results also state that a group known as BBE is doing an Independent review of the Police treatment of me. Parliament encouraged me to call and set up an appointment with them. It turns out that the BBE is part of the Police Department and the person I am to meet with is Landespolizeikommandant Karl Mahrer, at the main Police Headquarters. And of course, he does not speak English, according to his staff person.
The Investigative Journalist will be doing an article in the weekly newspaper "Falter" on Wednesday February 18, 2009. The Green Party will then in response issue a Press Release.
Obviously, none of this is what I have hoped and prayed for, but on the other hand it is not a surprise. Not that it makes it easier to handle.
My emotions are running the gamut from rage to numbness.
I don't know what will happen next, but I fear that the truth will never be known as the Police have clearly closed ranks, and that any justice for Aeryn will remain only a dream.
I will continue to attempt to get some answers while I am here.
Thank you to all who have send me letters of support and prayers for Aeryn, myself, family, and friends."
Friday, February 13, 2009
Update From Kathy About Inquest Results